Chapter 25 - OLIVIA’S ROOMEmily eventually changed Olivia’s memory room.
Not Rachel.
Emily.
She took down some photographs.
Moved others.
Gave Lucas permission to enter if he asked.
Kept the blue Jaguar on a higher shelf.
Thomas asked:
“Why change it?”
“It felt like a museum.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Rachel wanted everything different.”
“I’m not Rachel.”
Exactly.
Choice changed meaning.
Emily could alter the room because it belonged to her memory now.
Not because someone was erasing Olivia.
Lucas respected the boundary.
Mostly.
He was still seven—then eight.
Sometimes he forgot.
Emily yelled.
Nobody made her crawl.
They argued.
Apologized.
Moved on.
May you like
Normal conflict was allowed to remain normal.
That might have been the largest reform in the Bennett house.
Related Stories
Chapter 26 - THE PATIOTwo years after the incident, Emily stepped onto the patio barefoot.
Chapter 27 - VANESSA’S CONSEQUENCESVanessa lost her referral relationship with Redwood.
Chapter 28 - EMILY AT FOURTEENFour years later, Emily was fourteen.
Chapter 29 - THOMAS’S SUITCASEThomas still owned the black suitcase.
Chapter 30 - NOBODY ON THEIR KNEESSix years after Thomas walked onto the patio and saw his daughter crawling beneath Lucas, the Bennett estate hosted a small graduation dinner.
